1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multilayer ceramic electronic component, and more particularly, to a multilayer ceramic electronic component having excellent reliability.
2. Description of the Related Art
As electronic products have tended to be miniaturized and high-functionalized, electronic components have correspondingly been required to have smaller sizes and higher degrees of capacitance. Due to the requirement for miniaturization and high amounts of capacitance in electronic components, multilayer ceramic electronic components are drawing attention as electronic components able to be miniaturized and provided with high levels of capacitance, and thus, demand for multilayer ceramic electronic components is increasing.
In order to realize miniaturization and high levels of capacitance in multilayer ceramic capacitors, internal electrodes thereof are required to be both thinned and laminated in large numbers.
In general, external electrodes provided on multilayer ceramic electronic components may contain a glass component, and the glass component may be diffused and penetrate into a ceramic body during a sintering procedure. Due to this, the content of glass present in the external electrodes is decreased, resulting in decreased compactness of the external electrodes.
In the case in which the compactness of the external electrodes is decreased, the plating liquid or the like may penetrate through the external electrodes, causing a deterioration in product reliability.
In Related Art Documents, Patent Document 1 discloses that a diffusion layer is provided on the entire surface of the ceramic body. Patent Document 2 discloses that conductive portions having the same conductivity characteristics as those of external electrodes are included on portions of the outermost ceramic layers corresponding to positions of the external electrode to thereby improve adhesion properties therebetween.